Mia Soarez

Jun 20 RACISM EXPLAINED

As violent as the word sounds “racism” this word reflects fear more than any look for power. Any hate from one culture to another is a reflection of growing in a protective environment that made that human fear the unknown. By attacking or rejecting, this person is only looking to protect herself from what is new to her. Racism can also be sustained by past events in history, a slightly hate for the Muslims still pounders in America since 9/11. Although not as strongly as in the three first years it happened, people make sure not to forget, and to spread what they learned - be careful with them, they are not to trust.

Once the trust is lost it takes more effort to each person to regain it again and to stop acting out of fear. If you’re more interested in History, you will see that each event of hate towards another culture came out of fear of the unknown. The reason it remained unknown was because there was not so much available, information was distorted according to each countries governor’s beliefs (take Hitler as an example) and there was less search for the truth and more trust in the government, why? Because of fear. The government is taking care of us (or so we thought).

So as the years come by, racism has become more of a way to define someone from a culture than exactly hating it. If you say that Italians are talkative or that Americans eat too much, it can now be interpreted as racism since you are generalising a behaviour in a culture, although it is not right to call these statements racist as they come from an informative point, generalising a culture comes from a quick way to explain it, it is fun and shouldn't be taken as strongly as racism.

The racism is not as strong today (so as the trust in the government) because of the amount of information available, from people to people, with no real interests other than explaining and understanding. Although it is something that is still developing in our global culture, it is still going in the subconscious mind. Let’s say a British person wants to be polite and respect a certain culture, but deep down they don’t like them. Their look for politeness will make them avoid this culture and play nice when they have to interact. This attitude will keep the person in the unknown, therefore in fear, therefore racist.

Next time you see someone from another culture which you know little or only heard stories, start a conversation with an open mind, be more interested and make a few questions. And if at the end you learned that their culture looks a bit weird to you, they talk with their hands or they’re too grumpy, at least you know that there is nothing to fear.